Charley Harrison, the founder of Totally Tailored Tours, recently brought attention to something very essential. His comments encouraged American tourists to reconsider expectations regarding cultural norms and behaviors while traveling abroad. He warned against assuming that American culture should be the standard to which other cultures are compared. Harrison’s observations are an intriguing window into understanding how differently Americans and Canadians behave and think when traveling abroad.
While both nationalities are famed for their adventurous spirit, how they convey their trips hardly compare. To outsiders, Canadians typically come across as more reserved. When they are unhappy with what’s happening, ironically, they often sulk without a sound. Americans let the world know when they’re unhappy with a service. Their honesty, though, can often seem brusque.
The Quiet Canadian
Canadians, after all, are the polite people who like things orderly and harmonious in their relationships with one another. They don’t want to rock the boat. They just want to go with the flow. It is their collectivist mindset that allows them to easily adapt and fit into any cultural habitat. Accordingly, they often receive far less attention than their American analogs.
He went on to explain the ways Canadians would get shut down if they complained publicly. This humility of character usually results in a more authentic, low-key way to travel. Canadians are among the first to tell you that they are Canadian, right from birth. This seemingly innocuous claim builds instant loyalty with any compatriot in travel.
“Everyone has to go through the security queue and do what everybody else does. There’s no special treatment.” – Charley Harrison
Because complaining is a loud and embarrassing thing to do, Canadians would much rather brood in silence. According to them, this behavior is connected to their cultural emphasis on protecting group harmony. Stewart Reynolds, a Canadian content creator, noted:
This preference for the welfare of the community as a whole comes into sharp relief with American individualism, which prioritizes individual needs above all else.
“But on the whole, I think that Canadians generally try to find the best for the group, whereas Americans are very much for the individual.” – Stewart Reynolds
The thing that’s hard for Americans—who are direct to the point of rudeness—is being a little more political. For one thing, they tend to ask tougher questions and be more unwilling to take no for an answer. This inclination may be the result of a cultural background that fosters these qualities of self-assuredness and boldness. Denisa Podhrazska, a Londoner, explained:
The Vocal American
Such strong-arm tactics may not look the same on the road, but they have similar effects. Americans have a major bias toward convenience and efficiency, resulting in an infatuation with ideas as complicated as ‘skip the line’ services. Their quest for instant satisfaction can at times run afoul of the chill, go-with-the-flow approach found in cultures around the world.
“In the US, we’re raised to be confident, and you move through life with that confidence. So Americans tend to be a little more bold.” – Denisa Podhrazska
This new loudness typically focuses attention on them in alien environments, further underscoring the contrast between American and Canadian vacationers.
Stereotypes happen for a reason. Denisa Podhrazska stated:
“You always hear Americans because they are loud. Really nice, and loud.” – Susanna Shankar
Beyond these visible generalizations, are the invisible accelerations that don’t describe everyone’s actions or journeys. Beneath each nationality, there are exceptions—cases that turn intuition on its head. Flag jacking Some Americans are obsessed with a practice called flag jacking. They take on a Canadian identity when traveling outside the country to avoid all the anti-American backlash.
Navigating Stereotypes
Research led by Kim Dae-young, a professor of hospitality management at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, shows that Americans display some of their worst—and best—behaviors overseas. Yet, there is still a lack of academic research specifically researching the distinctions between American and Canadian tourists abroad.
“We use them because many of them are true. And it’s not just Americans; it’s for everybody. Every nation has its own little quirks, that’s how we recognize each other.” – Denisa Podhrazska
His observation touches on a provocative reality. Canadians may seem like friendly and considerate snowmen, but they are just as multicultural as their country, with sometimes eccentric or colorful characters.
Research conducted by Kim Dae-young, a professor of hospitality management, indicates that Americans exhibit varying behaviors in different countries. However, there remains a gap in academic research specifically examining the differences between American and Canadian tourists abroad.
Stewart Reynolds commented on the nature of Canadians:
“Canada’s got jerks. We’ve got a lot of jerks.” – Stewart Reynolds
His observation reflects the reality that while Canadians may be seen as polite and reserved, they too have their share of diverse personalities.
